Sie sind auf Seite 1von 28

Service Application Manual

SAM Chapter 620-28


Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
INTRODUCTION
The refrigerant in a refrigeration system, regardless of type, is present in two different states. It is
present as liquid and as vapor (or gas). During the refrigeration cycle, it changes from one state
to the other. You need to be familiar with the properties of both liquid and vapor in order to
understand the refrigeration cycle. The five properties of vapor are:
• T, for temperature
• H, for enthalpy (or heat content)
• V, for volume
• S, for entropy
• P, for pressure
These properties are the key to understanding and using refrigerant pressure-enthalpy diagrams.
Such diagrams chart the properties of gas.
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold an object is. It does not tell how much heat an
object will hold, nor does it tell how much heat it takes to change an object's temperature. There
are two temperature scales that anyone in refrigeration work should understand. They are the
Fahrenheit scale and the Celsius (formerly Centigrade) scale. The Fahrenheit scale is the most
commonly used in the United States. The Celsius scale is used in most scientific work in the
United States and almost universally in other countries. There is a movement to make the Celsius
scale the standard of temperature measurement in the United States.
Volume is a measure of the space occupied by refrigerant vapor. In refrigeration work, cubic feet
per pound (ft 3/lb) is the standard unit.
In refrigeration service work, gauge pressure (psig) is generally used. On a pressure-enthalpy
diagram, however, the pressure is shown as absolute pressure (psia.) The difference between the
two is about 14.7 pounds per square inch or about 30 inches of mercury (29.92 inches of
mercury, to be more precise). This is the difference between atmospheric pressure at sea level
and no pressure (14.7 psi less than atmospheric pressure, also referred to as a “perfect vacuum”).
There are three different kinds of pressure to consider in a study of refrigerants and how
temperature affects them. Adding heat to gas when there is no liquid present will cause it to be
superheated. The pressure of superheated gas increases very slowly when heated. If the gas is a
saturated vapor (that is, if liquid is present), the pressure increases much more rapidly. This
pressure is called vapor pressure (or saturated pressure). Remember that when liquid is present,
any pressure value will be vapor pressure. There can be only one value for the pressure at a given
temperature for a single refrigerant. (Refrigerant mixtures such as MP39 have a range of


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
pressures for each temperature because of the differences in vapor pressures of the individual
refrigerant components.)
If heat is added to a container full of liquid refrigerant, it will develop hydrostatic pressure. This
pressure increases rapidly in response to a temperature increase. A small increase in temperature
in a container full of liquid refrigerant will cause it to develop dangerously high pressure. Never
completely fill a cylinder with liquid refrigerant. In dealing with liquid and gas pressures in the
refrigeration cycle process, never do anything that might result in hydrostatic pressure.
Heat content is also known as enthalpy. It is a measure of how much heat a gas or liquid can hold
and how much heat is needed to change the temperature. A gas can have the same heat content at
different temperatures only if its other properties, such as pressure and volume, are different.
When enthalpy is constant, the condition of the gas is called adiabatic. Entropy is harder to
define. It is the ratio of heat content of a gas to its absolute temperature. It remains the same
when a gas is compressed, if no heat is added or removed. When entropy is constant, the
condition of the gas is called isentropic.
SAMPLE DIAGRAMS
The most common type of pressure-enthalpy diagram is shown in Figures 1A through 1H. They
show all five properties for a specific refrigerant in present-day use. Pressure is listed along the
right and left borders in psia. Horizontal lines are constant pressure lines. Enthalpy is listed along
the bottom and top of the diagram. Vertical lines are constant enthalpy lines. Temperature,
entropy, and volume values are shown in curves.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1A. Refrigerant 11.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1B. Refrigerant 12.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1C. Refrigerant 22.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1D. Refrigerant 113.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1E. Refrigerant 114.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1F. Refrigerant 502.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1G. Refrigerant HFC-134a.


 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 1H. Refrigerant MP39.

Figure 1G applies to HFC-134a, the subject of this text. Figures 2 through 7 use the HFC-134a
pressure-enthalpy diagram to show the information available from such diagrams when their
potential is understood. This means that some lines are omitted in Figures 2 through 7 (the
complete diagram is shown in Figure 1G).
INTERPRETING THE DIAGRAM
The curved line at the left in Figure 2 represents liquid at saturation temperature. Absolute vapor
pressure is read on the vertical scale along the left side. Enthalpy (heat content) is read on the
bottom scale at a number of different temperatures. To the right is a curve representing saturated
vapor. This is vapor associated with liquid, and the type of vapor found in a refrigerant cylinder,
a condenser, or a flooded evaporator. All of the data to the right of this curve relate to
10 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
superheated gas, where no liquid can be present. The space between the saturated vapor and the
saturated liquid lines represents a mixture of saturated vapor and liquid.

FIGURE 2. Liquid and vapor lines.

PUTTING THE PRESSURE-ENTHALPY DIAGRAM TO WORK


Compression ratio is a factor that is easily found using the pressure-enthalpy diagram, as shown
in Figure 3. For example, the evaporating temperature of HFC-134a in a system is 0°F. The
condensing temperature is 120°F. Pressures corresponding to these temperatures are read on the
left-hand scale. To find the compression ratio, divide the high-pressure value by the low-pressure
value.

11 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 3. Compression ratio.

The exact compression ratio of 8.790010868 would be difficult to use in basic calculations. So a
rounded-off figure of 8.79 is used in this example. The pressures at this point must be in psia.
Correct values can be taken directly from the chart. A compression ratio of 8.79 means that
discharge pressure is slightly less than nine times that of suction pressure. In other words, the
compressor must compress the refrigerant gas almost nine times to function efficiently under
these conditions. This poses no problem to ordinary reciprocating compressors. They can usually
handle compression ratios up to 15. When the ratio exceeds 10, however, a second-stage
compressor is recommended. Rotary compressors can deal with compression ratios up to 5,
centrifugal compressors up to about 3. The average compression ratio in large-capacity
centrifugal units is only about 1.5 or less in each stage.

12 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
CHARTING A REFRIGERATION CYCLE
Figure 4 is a pressure-enthalpy diagram of a typical refrigeration cycle in a system with one
pound of HFC-134a. It uses (for this example) evaporating and condensing temperatures of 0°F
and 120°F. Points on the diagram are labeled to correspond to locations of equipment in the
system. Each step of the cycle can be approached separately.
At Point 1, the refrigerant leaves the evaporator and enters the suction valve of the compressor.
In an actual system, there will be some superheat at this point, but to simplify the system none is
shown here.

FIGURE 4. Charting a refrigeration cycle.

Point 2 indicates the condition of the refrigerant as it leaves the compressor discharge valve and
enters the condenser. Note that the refrigerant is a superheated gas at this point. Point 3
represents the condition of refrigerant as it leaves the condenser and enters the metering device.
In this example, the refrigerant is a saturated liquid. By necessity, Figure 4 illustrates the
simplest conditions possible. Several refinements would be needed to fit any actual refrigeration

13 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
system problem. In this and subsequent examples, temperature refers to actual refrigerant
temperature, not the temperatures in the vicinity of the condenser or of the product being cooled.
A major phase of the refrigeration cycle is changing liquid refrigerant to a gas at the same
temperature. This is done by absorbing enough heat to bring about the change. The heat is called
latent heat or heat of vaporization. In the refrigeration cycle, this change takes place in the
evaporator. It is the only place where any useful cooling occurs. The other system equipment
returns the gas to liquid form and routes it back to the evaporator.
Latent heat can be calculated by use of the diagram in Figure 5. Latent heat is shown by the
distance between the saturated liquid line, to the left of the curve, and the saturated vapor line on
the right. The difference between the enthalpy of the saturated vapor and that of the saturated
liquid is the latent heat of vaporization. In this example, the latent heat of vaporization for HFC-
134a at 0° is 91.0 Btu/lb.

FIGURE 5. Latent heat.

The values for latent heat at various temperatures become smaller as the temperature rises. The
critical temperature is the highest temperature at which liquid can exist. At this point, latent heat

14 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
value is 0 Btu/lb, and there is no difference between liquid and vapor. The critical temperature
for HFC-134a is 213.9°F.
Another important factor in analyzing refrigeration cycle performance is net refrigerating effect.
You can also get this from a pressure-enthalpy diagram. The heat required to evaporate liquid
refrigerant depends on the material being cooled. Not all of this latent heat can be used to
produce product cooling. A portion must be used to cool the refrigerant itself from condensing
temperature to evaporating temperature. The pressure-enthalpy diagram in Figure 6 provides a
worksheet for calculating net cooling effect of the example cycle. Recall the established
condensing temperature of 120° and the evaporating temperature of 0°. The enthalpy values at
these temperatures can be read from the diagram easily. The difference in enthalpy value at 120°
and enthalpy value at 0° is the amount of heat needed to cool the refrigerant. If subtracted from
the previously calculated latent heat, the result is the actual amount of product cooling that can
be produced by a pound of refrigerant—or, in other words, net refrigerating effect. Figure 6
shows net refrigerating effect to be 50.7 Btu/lb.

FIGURE 6. Net refrigerating effect and refrigerant volume.

15 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

REFRIGERANT VOLUME
Refrigerant volume is the measure of space occupied by refrigerant vapor. It is found easily in
the pressure-enthalpy diagram. Lines of constant volume are roughly horizontal lines on a
pressure-enthalpy diagram. In Figure 6, the volume for the saturated vapor in the example cycle
at 0° can be calculated as 2.16 ft3/lb.
REFRIGERANT CIRCULATED
Calculation established a net cooling effect of the example cycle from evaporation of one pound
of HFC-134a as 50.7 Btu/lb. This was based on data provided by the pressure-enthalpy diagram
in Figure 6. Total capacity of a system depends on how often this one pound of refrigerant can be
circulated through the evaporator. Capacity is generally expressed in either Btu per minute, Btu
per hour, or in tons of refrigeration. One ton of refrigeration is the amount of heat required to
melt one ton of ice in 24 hours. This amounts to 200 Btu per minute, or 12,000 Btu per hour. The
capacity requirement of the example system will be established as one ton.
Now we want to figure the amount of refrigerant that must be circulated every minute to produce
one ton of cooling under the conditions shown. This is easily calculated by using the net
refrigerating effect value from the pressure-enthalpy diagram in Figure 6. The formula is:

The answer is that 3.94 pounds of refrigerant must be circulated each minute for each ton of
refrigeration in this system.
COMPRESSOR DISPLACEMENT
Theoretical compressor size can also be found from a pressure-enthalpy chart or diagram.
Multiply the refrigerant circulated in pounds per minute by the volume of gas in cubic feet per
pound. This shows theoretical compressor displacement. The volume for the example system
was found from the pressure enthalpy diagram in Figure 6 to be 2.16 ft3/lb. The formula provided
in a subsequent paragraph established the refrigerant circulation rate to produce one ton of

16 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
effective cooling as 3.94 lb/min. The following formula shows how these values are used to find
the theoretical compressor displacement:

To simplify calculating in this example, the volume of saturated vapor was used. This would
never occur in practice, however. The superheated gas volume corresponding to a valid situation
could have been determined from the diagram in Figure 6. The method will be shown at a more
appropriate point in the text.
The last few sample pressure-enthalpy diagrams have given data used to research factors from
load, or capacity, to theoretical compressor size. With the same data, you could reverse these
steps. Starting with a theoretical compressor size, you could determine how much cooling it
would produce under a given set of conditions.
COMPRESSOR HEAT
After being circulated through the evaporator, the refrigerant gas flows to the compressor. There
it is compressed. At this point, entropy becomes a factor. When a refrigerant is compressed and
entropy remains the same, it is called adiabatic compression. This means that there is no flow of
heat away from or into the gas. Gas becomes hot during compression because molecules are
pushed together, producing an increase in temperature. Normally, when a refrigerant is
compressed, the entropy does not remain the same, but it is often close. The gas is heated from
the friction of moving parts and the restricted flow through small valves, etc. Heat also flows out
of the gas when the compressor gets hot and heat is lost by radiation. In many cases, these two
effects cancel each other out.

17 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 

FIGURE 7. Compressor heat.

For simplification, assume again that saturated vapor enters the compressor, and that
compression is adiabatic. Only with this assumption can the line of constant entropy in Figure 7
be used as the basis for calculations. The point to be reached on this line will depend on the
condenser in use.
The opening and closing of the compressor discharge valve depends on which side has the higher
pressure against it. On one side of the valve is the gas being compressed by the compressor. On
the other side is the pressure from the condenser. Whatever the temperature of the condensing
liquid, it will always have a corresponding vapor pressure. The pressure-enthalpy diagram in
Figure 7 shows that the pressure corresponding to liquid HFC-134a at 120°F is about 186 pounds
per square inch absolute (psia.) The pressure against which the compressor discharge valves
must open is controlled by the vapor pressure of the liquid in the condenser. This pressure will be
the same in the piping between the condenser and the compressor as it is within the condenser,
except for a slight correction for pressure drop in the piping. When the pressure in the
compressor reaches condenser pressure, the compressor work is, in effect, finished.

18 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
AZEOTROPE REFRIGERANTS
Some refrigerants, such as R-502, are mixtures of other refrigerants. They are called azeotropes.
Once mixed, the refrigerant acts like one refrigerant with one boiling point for each pressure.
NEAR-AZEOTROPES
Some of the new refrigerants that are being introduced to replace the CFCs are called near-
azeotrope mixtures. MP39, for example, is a mixture that has a range of boiling points at a given
pressure. The point at which the MP39 begins to boil is called the bubble point. The point at
which the last drop of refrigerant has boiled away is called the dew point. The difference in
temperature between the bubble point and the dew point is called the glide. In the condensing
part of the cycle, the process is reversed. The point at which the refrigerant starts to condense is
the dew point. The bubble point is reached as the last drop of refrigerant is condensed.
USING MOLLIER DIAGRAMS FOR NEAR-AZEOTROPES
Due to the temperature range of the glide, there is no single saturation temperature for a given
pressure when using a near-azeotrope. When viewed on the Mollier diagram, the saturation
temperature appears as a slightly slanted line between the saturated vapor and saturated liquid
lines (see Figure 1H). The absolute pressures are horizontal, as they are in diagrams of other
refrigerants.
PLOTTING MP39
Plotting the refrigeration cycle on a MP39 diagram is the same as in a single component or
azeotrope refrigerant. The condenser is plotted along the constant pressure line. This does not
line up with the constant temperature line. The diagram will show the drop in temperature across
the condenser (the glide). The evaporator is plotted the same way. The temperature glide of the
evaporator can also be determined. The rest of the cycle is plotted the same.
USING THE DIAGRAM TO ESTIMATE ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
Previous portions of this chapter explained how to use pressure-enthalpy diagrams to analyze the
compression cycle. Entropy as a factor in system performance was also discussed. The pressure-
enthalpy diagram also can be used to estimate the energy required for a compressor to perform
properly.
It requires energy to compress a gas. The energy added to the gas to compress it is the difference
between the enthalpy of the gas as it enters and leaves the compressor. Refer back to Figure 4.
Note that “compressor in” and “compressor out” points are shown. Measure the enthalpy on the
bottom scale between the two points. This shows the energy in Btu per pound added to the gas to
compress it. Figure 7 shows the result of this calculation. It is 20.6 Btu/lb.

19 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
Now look at Figure 4 again. The theoretical discharge temperature is the point at which the
compression line meets the condensing pressure line. Figure 7 shows that it is 140°F. This is 20°
higher than condenser temperature. In practice, discharge temperature may be 25 to 40° higher
than the theoretical figure. The difference between actual and theoretical temperatures relates to
several factors. They include compressor design and operating conditions, and the “balancing
out” of heat loss and heat gain to keep entropy constant.
Despite the differences between the actual operating parameters of a system and the theoretical
values plotted, plotting a system can be useful. Plotting a cycle can show what will happen to
capacity, horsepower, and heat of rejection when evaporator temperature is raised or lowered. It
will show the effect on a system of changes in superheat, subcooling, and condensing
temperature. It is possible to calculate the effect of changes of one or more of the system
conditions on the system as a whole. By plotting the refrigeration cycle on a pressure-enthalpy
diagram, you can see the complete system and the interrelationships of its components.
COMPRESSOR POWER
Heat added to gas during compression is calculated in Btu per pound. To convert this value to
power, a time factor is required. Multiply compressor heat in Btu per pound by the refrigerant
circulated in pounds per minute. This gives the compressor power in Btu per minute. The
following example shows this calculation. The data are from Figures 6 and 7.
Compressor power per ton (heat and time)
= compressor heat x refrigerant circulated
= 20.6 Btu/lb x 3.94 lb/min
= 81.6 Btu/min per ton

The most common way to state compressor power on a pressure-enthalpy diagram is horsepower
per ton of refrigeration. It is found by dividing the Btu per minute per ton by 42.43 Btu per
minute. For the example above, the compressor needs 1.91 horsepower to produce one ton of
refrigeration. Watts are used as the measure of electric power. Electric power can be found by
multiplying the horsepower by 746 watts per horsepower. This calculation assumes that the
motor is 100% efficient. In reality, the electric power needed will be greater, because the motor
will always be less than 100% efficient.
Currently, there is a trend to report equipment capacity in Btu per hour at a specified condition.
With Refrigerant HFC-134a, 1.91 horsepower of compression produces one ton of refrigeration
in the example shown. This is true only when the evaporator, condenser, superheating, and
subcooling are exactly as stated in the example. Changes in any of these temperatures or
pressures will change the horsepower required to produce one ton of refrigeration. To produce
the same amount of cooling at a lower evaporator temperature takes more horsepower if the
condensing temperature remains the same.

20 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
Occasionally foot-pounds per second (ft-lb/s) may be used as a power term. It takes 1,050 ft-lb/s
to produce the ton of refrigeration in this example. Whichever term is used, it is the theoretical
power necessary to produce one ton of refrigeration under the above conditions.
CONDENSER DATA FROM PRESSURE-ENTHALPY DIAGRAMS
As the refrigerant passes through the condenser, the gas is cooled to the condensing temperature
by removing the superheat. As more and more heat is removed, the refrigerant will start to
condense. However, it remains at the condensing temperature. The pressure stays at the vapor
pressure of the liquid, which is 120°F.
For the example system, the pressure-enthalpy diagram in Figure 8 shows that the amount is 5.7
Btu/lb of refrigerant. The vapor starts condensing to a liquid when this amount of heat is
removed. As more heat is removed, more liquid is formed. Eventually, all of the one pound of
vapor becomes liquid refrigerant. As shown in Figure 8, 65.9 Btu are removed to change one
pound of vapor to one pound of liquid. When fully condensed, the liquid is ready to go back to
the evaporator and through the cycle again.

FIGURE 8. Condensing vapor to liquid.

Heat transfer from a gas is not as effective as from a condensing liquid. Thus, the amount of
superheat in the gas en route to the condenser is important to system capacity. Removing heat
from a gas could require several times the condenser surface used to take the same heat from a

21 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
liquid. In practice, this means that the more superheat in gas from the compressor, the larger the
condenser needed.
EFFECTS OF LOWER CONDENSING TEMPERATURE
As noted earlier, an important use of pressure-enthalpy diagrams is to compare different
operating conditions. For example, say that a condenser is functioning at 100°F instead of 120°F.
Perhaps it was just cleaned, the ambient air is cooler, or it might be a replacement condenser
with a slightly larger surface. Figure 9 shows that the reduction in condensing temperature will
increase capacity and reduce horsepower requirements, or both, assuming that other conditions
remain the same.

FIGURE 9. Lower condensing temperature.

Figure 9 shows that latent heat remains the same, but net refrigeration effect is increased,
because the liquid entering the evaporator requires less cooling. Less compressor heat and power
are required since the gas is not compressed at as high a pressure. At 120°F condensing
temperature, 20.6 Btu/lb are added to the gas to compress it. At 100°F, only 17 Btu/lb are added.
As a result, discharge temperature will be lower and the amount of superheat in the gas will be

22 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
slightly less. The amount of heat removed to condense the liquid will be greater at the lower
temperature, resulting in a slight net increase in the heat removed in the condenser.
LIQUID SUBCOOLING
A pressure-enthalpy diagram helps explain what happens when a refrigerant is subcooled. Look
at Figure 10. Liquid pressure is still governed by vapor pressure, so the pressure of liquid in the
condenser remains at vapor pressure level. The heat content of subcooled liquids can be assumed
to be the same as the heat content of the liquid if it were saturated at the lower temperature. For
example, the enthalpy of HFC-134a liquid at 120°F and 186 psia is 52.4 Btu/lb. If the liquid is
subcooled (with no change in pressure) to 100°F, the enthalpy is assumed to be the same as the
saturated liquid at 100°F. In this example, the enthalpy at 100°F and 186 psia is 45.1 Btu/lb. For
moderate pressures and subcooling, this method will be reasonably accurate.

FIGURE 10. Subcooling.

The example in Figure 10 assumes that the liquid is subcooled 20°, from 120°F to 100°F. Figure
10 shows that this amount of subcooling removes 7.3 Btu/lb. The net refrigeration effect will be
the same as when the entire condenser is operated at 100°F. The compressor must still do the

23 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
same amount of work whether the liquid is subcooled or not. Obviously, subcooling of the liquid
produces more capacity. The simple calculations using the pressure-enthalpy diagram will
determine the amount of the increase. Subcooling effects will be compared in subsequent
paragraphs where appropriate.
SUCTION VAPOR SUPERHEATING
A pressure-enthalpy diagram can show the effect of different operating conditions. Look at
Figure 11. It shows what happens if the suction gas is superheated. In the current example, the
refrigerant gas is heated to 65°F. Since the saturated temperature of the gas leaving the
evaporator is 0°F, the superheat is 65°F. Its pressure does not change, because it is controlled by
the presence of the liquid in the evaporator.

FIGURE 11. Superheating.

Some reaction has to take place when a gas is heated. The volume increases from 2.16 ft3/lb to
about 2.54 ft3/lb. The gas entering the compressor now has a different entropy. As a result, this
new value will follow a different line on the pressure-enthalpy diagram. Figure 11 shows that the
discharge temperature is considerably higher and directly relates to the superheat value. A

24 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
diagram that indicates excessive discharge temperature shows the need to reduce superheat,
perhaps by insulating the suction line. Figure 11 shows how the change in discharge temperature
can be found when the temperature of suction gas is known.
Heat of compression is also increased at higher suction gas temperatures. The amount of increase
can be calculated from the diagram. Whether increased heat of compression results in more
power depends on what occurs in the condenser and evaporator, and on whether the weight of
circulated refrigerant increases or decreases.
PROPERTIES COMPARISON—ONE TON REFRIGERATION CAPACITY
Table 1 summarizes the effects of changes in operating conditions analyzed thus far. We assume
that capacity stays the same in the continuing example—one ton, or 200 Btu/min. The conditions
selected are an evaporator at 0°F and a condenser at 120°F. The data in Table 1 compare
capacity levels in a simple system under the following conditions:
• with liquid subcooled at 100°F
• with suction gas superheated at 65°F
• when both conditions exist at the same time
• with condenser at 100°F.
The first line in Table 1 shows that compression ratio depends only on evaporating and
condensing temperatures. The second line shows that net refrigeration effect depends only on the
latent heat and heat content of the liquid as it enters an evaporator. When the liquid is subcooled,
net refrigeration effect per pound increases. When the entire condenser is cooled, net
refrigeration effect increases in the same proportion. Lines 3 through 7 show the following:
• When capacity stays the same, the rate at which refrigerant circulates varies inversely
with net refrigeration. Fewer pounds of refrigerant are needed when Btu per pound are
higher.
• The specific volume of the gas depends only on the existing superheat level for a
particular evaporating temperature.
• Compression heat is not affected by subcooling, but is increased by superheating. The
compressor heat is decreased when condensing temperature is lowered.

Table 1 Capacity levels under different operating conditions.

SYSTEM CAPACITY PER TON


0°/120° 0°/100°
Liquid subcooled to 100°F Suction superheated to 65°F Both

25 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
Compression ratio 8.79 8.79 8.79 8.79 6.57
Net refrigeration, Btu/lb 50.70 58.00 50.70 58.00 58.00
Refrigerant circulated, lb/min 3.94 3.45 3.94 3.45 3.45
Gas volume, ft3/lb 2.16 2.16 2.54 2.54 2.16
Compressor heat, Btu/lb 20.60 20.60 22.10 22.10 17.00
Compressor power, hp 1.91 1.67 2.05 1.79 1.38
Compressor displacement, ft3/min 8.54 7.45 10.00 8.80 7.45

To find compressor power, multiply compression heat (Btu per pound) by the rate at which the
refrigerant circulates through the system (pounds per minute.) Subcooling the liquid has no effect
on heat of compression, but does reduce required horsepower. This is because fewer pounds of
refrigerant circulated produce the same refrigeration effect. In this example it is one ton, or 200
Btu per minute. Superheating the suction gas increases the horsepower requirement. In the
example, comparison horsepower is reduced slightly when there is both subcooling and
superheating. The amounts of subcooling and superheating were chosen to show the effect. They
do not necessarily correspond to a real situation. When condensing temperature is lower—for
example, 100°F— horsepower requirement is also much lower, as Table 1 shows.
The seventh line shows the compressor displacement in cubic feet per minute needed for various
capacity values. Displacement can be changed by changing either motor speed or compressor
size. Neither of these methods is common in the field. It is important to research other possible
remedies first.
VARYING CAPACITY VALUES WITH SAME DISPLACEMENT
The data in Table 2 assume that the compressor in the example Always operates at the same
speed. It also assumes a displacement of 8.5 ft3/min. Compression ratio depends on evaporating
and condensing temperatures. Therefore, the compression ratio should be and is the same as that
shown in Table 1. Net refrigeration effect in Btu per pound is also the same as shown before. The
rate at which refrigerant circulates now depends on what goes through the compressor.
Subcooling the liquid has no effect on the rate of circulation. Note what happens when the gas is
superheated. The rate of circulation is reduced due to the increased volume. Further comparison
shows that gas volumes are the same in both tables.

Table 2 Varying capacity values.

SAME COMPRESSOR DISPLACEMENT (8.5 ft3/min)


0°/120° 0°/100°
Liquid subcooled to 100° Suction superheated to 65°F Both
Compression ratio 8.79 8.79 8.79 8.79 6.57
Net refrigeration, Btu/lb 50.70 58.00 50.70 58.00 58.00
Refrigerant circulated, lb/min 3.94 3.94 3.35 3.35 3.94
Gas volume, ft 3 /lb 2.16 2.16 2.54 2.54 2.16
Compressor power, hp 1.91 1.91 1.91 1.91 1.57

26 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
Load, Btu/min 200.00 228.00 170.00 194.00 228.00
Load, tons 1.00 1.10 0.80 0.90 1.10

In this example, compression power is reasonably consistent with subcooling or superheating, or


both, in effect. As we saw before, the heat of compression on a pound basis is slightly higher
when the gas is superheated. Gas volume, however, is also increased. As a result, fewer pounds
of refrigerant are required to circulate. As a rule, higher compressor heat and reduced circulation
cancel each other out. Thus, compressor power stays about the same.
The effect of changes in Table 2 is greater in the area of capacity, or load. A simple cycle was
chosen for the example. This allows calculations on the basis of 200 Btu/min, or one ton of
refrigeration effect. Subcooling the liquid is always productive. In the subject situation, it gives
an increase of about 14% in capacity. Superheating the gas causes a decrease in capacity. In this
instance, the capacity is reduced almost 13%. The net result of both effects is a slight decrease in
capacity.
Understand that the example is for illustration purposes only. The accepted method of subcooling
liquid refrigerant is a liquid-vapor heat exchanger that takes heat from the liquid and adds it to
the suction gas. Additional suction line superheat may come from absorbing heat from the air as
it goes to the compressor. Use of a liquid-vapor heat exchanger in a HFC-134a system may give
a net capacity increase. This is different from the decrease shown in Table 2. The increase in
capacity usually remains the same, whether the condensing temperature is reduced to 100°F or
the liquid is subcooled to 100°F. The power required, however, is much less when condensing
temperature is reduced.
SUMMARY
The calculation of refrigerant properties using pressure-enthalpy diagrams gives only theoretical
answers–but they can be of real help in many application problems. Use of the diagram, for
example, can give a picture of the entire refrigeration cycle and the connection of one part to
another.
Calculations based on the diagram are a valuable means of comparison. They are a valuable tool
to assist in evaluating the effect of changes in operating conditions. For any piece of equipment,
there are factors that tend to affect theoretical calculations. They include such things as power
loss in the motor, friction losses, volumetric efficiency of the compressor, pressure drops in lines,
and ratio of heat losses and gains. These factors remain at about the same level when operating
conditions are changed. Therefore, corrections to theoretical answers from the diagram will for
the most part cancel out when comparing operating variables.
The pressure/temperature relationship in the condenser and evaporator can be found on the
diagram. From these values it is easy to calculate compression ratio.

27 
 
Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A

PRESSURE-ENTHALPY CHARTS AND THEIR USE


By: Dr. Ralph C. Downing
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Freon Products Division
 
Using the diagram to determine the effect on capacity of different discharge temperatures will
help determine the feasibility of insulating the suction line to reduce superheat and discharge
temperature. Use the diagram to find out how much capacity can be increased by lowering the
condensing temperature. Temperature can be lowered by cleaning, by using colder water or a
faster flow rate, or by using bigger blowers on air-cooled equipment. The effect on capacity or
compressor size or displacement for different evaporating temperatures can be found. The effect
of liquid subcooling and vapor superheating can be determined.
Pressure-enthalpy diagrams are tools that you can use to better understand refrigeration cycles.
They help the technician determine if system operation is normal. The effect of changes in
operation can be estimated.
Know how to read pressure-enthalpy diagrams and do the simple calculations involved. Their
use in field service and installation pays rich dividends in all phases of refrigeration work.

Copyright © 1970, 2001, 2009, By Refrigeration Service Engineers Society.

28 
 

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen